For thousands of years, indigenous people native to the western United States have used the practice of cultural burning to cultivate fire to keep forests healthy. The process of cultural burning was disrupted by the forced removal of tribes from their land and the banning of religious ceremonies. State and federal agencies began prioritizing the rapidity with which wildfires were extinguished rather than the health of the forests. This practice of fire suppression has worsened California's wildfire risk. Without periodic cultural burns, vegetation is left to build up which provides kindling for wildfire. In recent years, some CA governments have attempted to reinstate the process of traditional burns through prescribed burning. In some cases, tribal leaders are working with officials to reduce the risk of wildfires through prescribed burning.
The homepage of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This webpage includes significant information about Native American land, history, and management. For more specific links, see below.
Information about the mission and services provided by the BIA. Includes links to other significant pages and information about wildfire.
BIA page with links to public documents and information regarding wildland fire management. See public information and story archives.
CA government webpage regarding prescribed burning. Helpful links at the bottom of the page.
PDF of an article published by the United States Forest Service regarding prescribed burning in the southeast.